I disagree, it all depends if you have a good TA or not. If you have a good one, like the one I booked my current vacation with it can make all the difference. A good TA can find bargains that you may miss, and won't hesitate to use the TA I booked with again, and they were great. I've gone both routes in planning vacations, and while I do like booking things direct, I like the convenience of booking through a TA that I know will do a good job. I find that the more research that you can do before booking a trip through a TA, the easier it will be when it comes to making important decisions about the trip.